Fairy Beats!
by Rachel.Ongaku
Summary: (AU) Fairy Beats! takes place at a high school acting as a limbo for those who have died, where students learn to give up any lingering attachments they still have from life before passing on. Nalu, Gajevy, Gruvia, Jerza, and Elfever.
1. My Soul, Your Beats

**AN:** You have no idea how much I wanted to beat myself up when I started writing it. I came up with the idea for this AU about a month ago, and posted it onto my tumblr. And I haven't been able to forget about it since. So, I finally wrote some of it down. If you're unfamiliar with Angel Beats!, feel free to look at the wiki. Its not too complicated. Actually, just go watch the anime. It's only 13 episodes, perfect for binge watching. Just make sure to have tissues nearby!

* * *

**Chapter One: My Soul, Your Beats**

Lucy awakened with a gasp. She sat up suddenly, feeling like her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

"Oh good! You're awake!"

Lucy looked to her left and saw a girl with long red hair. Several knives were strapped onto her body and...was that a sword?

"Uh..." Lucy was lost. Where was she? What was going on?

The girl stood right in front of Lucy, man was she intimidating!

"I know that this is sudden, but please enlist with us."

It sounded more like a demand. The blonde tilted her head to the side, clearly very confused.

"Enlist? I-i don't even know where I am, or what I'd be 'enlisting' in!"

The other woman sighed as if she'd heard this a million times before. "You're in the afterlife, and you need to join us and fight if you want to avoid being obliterated."

"Obliterated? Afterlife?" Lucy giggled. This was ridiculous. Though, this girl was a great actor! Lucy almost believed her for a moment there. "So, this is a prank huh?"

The red head suddenly looked very annoyed and almost angry, causing Lucy to recoil. "Why would I joke about being dead? Everyone here has died. Some people several times. You can't die here."

Lucy stood up and brushed her skirt. She didn't have time for this! She needed to figure out where she was and clearly this girl didn't want to help.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go..."

"ERZA! How is it going with the new recruit?"

Lucy shrieked as she saw the dark-haired boy who wasn't wearing a shirt. But it wasn't the lack of clothing that caused her outburst, instead it was the gun he was carrying.

"Is that real?" the blonde squeaked as she backed up and considered hiding behind the girl with the knives.

"People always ask that..."

Lucy was still clearly scared, and it didn't help when a pink-haired boy, who also carried a gun, was suddenly in her face.

She fainted.

* * *

"Erza, do you really think she'll join?"

"I don't know Levy, but I want you to talk with her."

"Huh? Why me?"

"Because you're the least likely to scare her. She didn't like our weapons. I seriously doubt that she's scared of books or your bass."

"Fine, how long has she been out?"

"Half an hour."

Lucy opened her eyes and found herself on a couch. The room looked like a large office. Next to her was the red-headed girl from earlier. 'Erza?' Lucy wondered, remembering that the others had called her that. There was also a small blue-haired girl there as well.

"I'll be back." Erza announced with a wave before leaving the room.

Levy sat down next to Lucy, on the arm of the couch.

"I'm sorry that they scared you earlier. My name is Levy. What's your name?"

That...was a good question. What was her name? OH! "Lucy...uh, I can't remember my last name..."

"Don't worry about it, you're not the only one who can't remember. Natsu doesn't remember how he died and Jellal can't remember anything."

Lucy felt a lot more comfortable with this girl compared to the others. She seemed normal, despite continuing on this ridiculous prank. Though, not having a memory wasn't helping Lucy.

"Levy...where are we?"

"I know this is hard to accept, but this is the afterlife...or at least some form of it."

"So...you're dead?"

Levy nodded.

"How?" Lucy asked.

Levy's eyes widened before she looked away.

"Touchy subject?" Lucy asked, worried that she'd crossed the line in asking a question like that.

"Yeah, it is for most people. Everyone is here because there was something they wanted out of life that was stolen from them. Or you know, something close to that." Lucy thought about that for a moment. She didn't remember any of her life. What was it that she was here for?

"For example, I love reading and I love learning new languages. I felt like language was my calling. It was what I was born to do. But I had dyslexia. I couldn't do what I loved while I was alive."

"O-oh.." Lucy felt bad for bringing this whole subject up. Though, the smile on Levy's face surprised her.

"I can read in this world. I've also gotten to play bass in the diversion band an-" "Diversion band?"

Levy nodded. "Yeah, its an all-girl rock band. I play bass. Juvia and Evergreen play guitar. Wendy plays the keyboards. Cana plays drums. Mirajane was our lead singer, but she was obliterated a week ago. I'm trying my best to learn how to sing her songs, but I just don't have the range to do it."

The bluenette sighed. "You don't sing by any chance, do you?"

Lucy shrugged. "I don't know."

Levy suddenly got up and began going through a bag, pulling out some sheet music and shoving some of it into Lucy's hands.

"Here. I'll play the piano accompaniment. I'm not near as good as Wendy, but it'll be enough..."

* * *

Levy left the room with a smile on her face. She'd not only convinced Lucy to join the SSS, but to also become the new lead singer of GiDeMo! She couldn't wait to tell Erza about her success.

"Hey, what's with that smile?" a familiar deep voice asked. She looked up to see Gajeel.

"I found us a new lead singer." she announced while continuing down the hallway.

"Who? That girl with the bunny shirt?"

"Yep. She's actually pretty good. Better singer than me at least."

"Gihi. You know I'm the best singer."

Levy rolled her eyes before leaning against the wall.

"Are you volunteering to join the all-girl band?" she teased. He placed a hand on the wall next to her while leaning forward.

"Of course not. But you should still consider some of my songs."

Levy was distracted for a moment. His face was dangerously close to hers. He could probably feel the heat coming off of her blush.

"Come on Gajeel. You know we don't play blues, and that's all you've ever handed me. But, I do have a new piece that I'm working on. Help me with the lyrics?"

Gajeel pulled back and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Maybe, what's the name of it?"

"My Most Precious Treasure."

He rolled his eyes. "Sounds girly. I don't think I can help you with that one shrimp."

"Stop calling me that!"

"No!"

"But I'm not a shrimp!"

"You're as small as one!"

"Shut up!"

There was silence between the two of them for a moment before she glanced over at him.

"Too bad you won't help me. The song was about you."

Gajeel stood there in shock. "What?"

Levy only giggled before running off at full speed down the hallway. Of course he wasn't going to just let her go after that! So he chased after her, determined to read the lyrics she'd written.

* * *

**Please Review! (they make me smile) Thank you!**

Oh it feels so good to have this written down. But urgh, I have so much plot I want to do and I have no idea how to go about it and I'm trying to add in some Jerza, Elfever, Gruvia, and NaLu but every time I try to, I end up writing Gajevy instead.

So, I have a feeling that I'll name every chapter after a GiDeMo song? Maybe? I have no idea. I don't know what I"m doing.

Coming Up Next: Sequel to 'She Almost Died', a new chapter of 'Fairy Tail Goes To The Carnival', and more of this. EVENTUALLY more of 'Loss of Direction' and 'Stubborn Fairies' but I have a feeling that eventually will be sometime over winter break.

Check out my tumblr links. I'm looking for someone to play Gajeel and/or Naruto in some role-plays. Send me a PM if you're interested!

**Next Chapter Preview:**

_Natsu closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down. But it was impossible after seeing Lucy. Every single memory of his came back, and he wasn't happy to find out how he died. He definitely wasn't happy to find out that he wasn't strong enough to save her either._


	2. Alchemy

**AN: **Oh man, I just can't let this idea go apparently. So there's a somewhat triggering scene in this chapter that involves guns, blood, and a school shooting. So go ahead and skip if that triggers you. I can offer a less triggering version if you need it.

I don't own Fairy Tail, Angel Beats!, or any lyrics.

I changed the title from 'Afterlife School' to 'Fairy Beats'. I can't believe I didn't think of that! Thank you Glitter Spires! You're the best!

I want to force everyone to sit down and watch Angel Beats! I just love it so much...I think its my favorite anime...

So, here's chapter two. May I recommend listening to 'Alchemy' by Girls Dead Monster while reading this chapter? You can find it on youtube.

* * *

**Chapter Two: Alchemy**

* * *

_When I look back at the road I walked down, _  
_I get fed up with how it's nothing but things I didn't want. _  
_Letting the things I touch shine– _  
_that kind of path is the kind I wanted to live._

* * *

Natsu heard Gray and Erza talking, and by the sounds of it the new recruit had awakened as well. Even from behind he could tell that she was pretty. He couldn't help but want to take a closer look. So he decided to run over and say hello!

Two things happened that he did not expect.

She fainted.

And he suddenly got the memories of his death back.

* * *

Flashback

There was a lot of screaming when it all started. It was both expected and unexpected. After all, every student had wondered what would happen if there were a shooting at their school. It happened too often in other places for them to not imagine it. But that didn't mean that Natsu was in the slightest bit prepared.

He could barely hear over the screaming, in fact he felt like he could barely hear at all. What he could hear was the blood pumping quickly through his veins while he ran through the hallways. The pink haired student was trying to find a place to hide and it was difficult since he was on the second floor. Finally he neared the end of the hallway, where one classroom door was still open with a teacher herding them in.

"Natsu!"

That voice. It was her!

Natsu stopped, turning to see his best friend, Lucy on the floor. There was blood. Why was there blood?

He knew that he couldn't just stop and ask a lot of questions. He needed to get her and find a safe place. THAT was his priority. There was no way he could allow himself to do anything other than keep his friends safe in a situation like this, no matter how scary it was. Natsu turned and slid on his knees until he was next to her. Lucy was clearly in pain, and the blood seemed to be coming from her leg. He wondered if she'd been shot.

"Come on, wrap your arms around me. Okay, Lucy?"

He'd just gotten her onto his back so that he could carry her when there were more shots. The girl on his back screamed so loudly that his hearing was even more damaged than before. Natsu turned to make a run for the classroom, but noticed that the door was now closed. They wouldn't let them in now, and he didn't blame them.

"Lucy, we're going to have to hide in the bathroom." he said before doing just that. What he wasn't aware of was the trail of blood that gave them away.

Flashback Ends

* * *

It was too much all at once. He would sort through it later. The way he ran away from the others and threw his gun to the ground was sure to throw everyone else off.

He had to go back and at least explain himself to Erza.

Natsu closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down. But it was impossible after seeing Lucy. Every single memory of his came back, and he wasn't happy to find out how he died. He definitely wasn't happy to find out that he wasn't strong enough to save her either.

"Stop. Its in the past!" he yelled at himself.

"Natsu-san?"

The pink haired boy jumped to his feet, surprised by the sound.

"Wendy? Why are you up so late?"

"Uh...I was practicing our newest song." she answered, knowing that it was only half-true. While she was alive she was never allowed to stay up late, unless she planned on just staring at the ceiling. The children's hospital had a strict lights out at nine policy.

"You should get some sleep." Natsu said, placing his hand on top of her head for a moment before walking away.

"B-but something was wrong. I could tell by the look on your face!" Wendy exclaimed before chasing after him.

"I'll be okay. I'm about to go talk to Erza anyway."

Wendy seemed satisfied by that answer.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then."

* * *

Natsu was about to open the door to the office when she heard voices inside. One was Levy, he recognized her voice instantly. And then he heard Lucy.

The wave of emotion that washed over him was almost overwhelming. So many memories all at once. He remembered their friendship. He remembered how much he cared about her. He remembered when she died.

'Shit, I need to get away from this.' he thought before turning on his heel and going back to the dorm room he shared with Gray. He passed Gajeel in the hallway. That guy was a mystery to him, and apparently everyone else.

Natsu didn't care right then, he just kept walking with his eyes on the ground. _'Maybe I should've talked with Wendy.'_

* * *

_I desperately want to live. All of the days that rushed by look like they'll disappear, _  
_But I'll try skipping class, so I shouldn't be getting tired–my thoughts are inconsistent like that. _  
_It's like my head was hit somewhere when I wasn't aware. _  
_Okay, let's go to the hospital from here for a little while. _  
_Could you leave me some medicine that'll keep me awake forever?_

* * *

Wendy let out a sigh when Natsu left. She felt like she was going to get in trouble for being awake so late, but that was silly. Nobody here really held that power over her. After all, what's the worst they could do to someone who was already dead?

The small girl was the youngest that he appeared in this world so far. She was only thirteen while most of the others were around sixteen, seventeen, or even older. She wondered why that was? Or if there was even a reasoning for that.

Her life had been different from the others, at least what she'd heard from them anyways. Most of them lived, no matter how painful it was. They had families and friends and dreams while alive. Wendy only had those for the first four years of her life.

She could barely remember being healthy. For the most part, Wendy was always sick.

The diagnosis of Leukemia came two weeks after her fourth birthday. Actually, to be exact it was a diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Of course Wendy didn't understand much of what was going on back then. She understood that she was sick. She understood that her mother was horribly upset by her sickness. She understood that it _hurt_. She was weak all the time. She was could never get enough sleep. Her bones hurt, which was a strange feeling.

She 'survived' for nine years. But Wendy really didn't want to call it 'surviving'. She referred to it as 'holding on'.

Life had been cruel to her, and at the same time kind. No one dared to be mean to her. She got plenty of presents and lots of love. There was even a charity in her name. But still, there were so many things she never got to do.

Like stay up all night.

* * *

**Please Review! Thank You!**

So, if you saw my preview on tumblr you already know that these next few chapters will introduce three(or four) characters and a little bit of their past.

Also! I have commissioned cover art for three of my fan fictions! I've already paid for _'The Book of END'_ and _'Thank You Juvia'_. I'm waiting to hear back about my request for _'She Almost Died'_.

If you do commissions and are interested in doing a cover for one of my other stories (Fairy Tail Goes To The Carnival, Loss of Direction, Stubborn Fairies, Rain, or Fairy Beats) send me a PM here or an ask on tumblr!

**Next Chapter Preview!**

**Chapter Three: Storm Song**

_"Cana, you're drunk. You shouldn't make things up __like that while you're drunk."  
__The brunette laughed. "I'm not making it up. Erza told me right after you got here, she remembered you from when she was alive!"_


	3. Storm Song

**AN: **Hello Everyone! Ready for Chapter Three? You better be! This chapter is going to focus on um...four and a half characters? Cana, Jellal(and Erza a bit), Elfman, and Evergreen. And here's the chapter where it becomes obvious that I'm bad at writing Jellal. I'm so sorry.

CHECK OUT THE NEW COVER ART FOR 'THANK YOU JUVIA'! Link to the artist is on my profile!

Trigger Warnings: Alcoholism, Emotional Abuse, Bullying, Death of a Family Member

If it hasn't become obvious, I'm choosing the songs based off of lyrics instead of 'feel'. This song doesn't exactly match the 'feel' of this chapter, but the lyrics match. So here we go!

* * *

_The act of living in itself_  
_Isn't a hard thing to do._  
_The tears spill out only sometimes._  
_The whirlpool takes those in as well._

* * *

**Chapter Three: Storm Song**

It was a Saturday, and for Cana that meant drinking. Of course many of her friends had tried to get her to stop, especially the ones who knew how she died. Cana was pretty sure that was why Jellal was there with her. Erza had sent him, Cana was sure of it. And it was really starting to piss her off. She could no longer sit back and let the redhead try to control her life. She needed to get Jellal's focus somewhere else.

"Erza knows about your past." the drunk blurted out suddenly. Jellal was clearly shocked. He didn't want to believe her sudden outburst, but then again...

"Cana, you're drunk. You shouldn't make things up like that while you're drunk."

The brunette laughed. "I'm not making it up. Erza told me right after you got here, she remembered you from when she was alive!"

Cana saw the look on his face and began to regret what she'd done immediately. She'd done it again. She put her own selfish desires ahead of the safety and wellbeing of her friends. All along she'd thought that Jellal deserved to hear what Erza knew about his past. But that did not give her the right to reveal that information to him. It was supposed to be Erza's decision.

"I-i shouldn't have told you that..."

The blue haired boy didn't budge. He'd been staring blankly at the computer screen ever since she told him. Everyone knew that he'd been trying pretty much everything that might bring back his memory. And now he'd flung out that the people he was closest to, the people he trusted most, knew at least something about his past. They hadn't shared it with him though.

"I'm sorry Jellal. Are you okay?"

The silence was deafening. Cana hated not knowing what was going on in his head. Suddenly he reached out and stole her sake. Cana watched with wide eyes as he drank. A lot.

_'Thunk'_

He slammed the bottle down. She'd never seen him drink alcohol before. How bad had she messed up by telling him?

"Jellal, I-"

"I wasn't a good person. Was I?"

Cana was silent, that was answer enough for him.

"If Erza's memories of me were pleasant, what reason would she have to not tell me?" Jellal slammed his laptop closed and shoved it into his bag. "How badly did I hurt her?"

Cana didn't answer, but she could feel how angry he was about her silence.

"ANSWER ME CANA!"

The girl winced. "I can't. I've messed up enough already."

The man stood up suddenly and threw the bottle of sake onto the ground where it shattered. "You should really stop drinking."

Jellal left, leaving Cana alone on the roof of the library. She stared at the shards of glass that was now scattered on the ground. "Yeah. I should. But you have no idea how many times I've tried and failed." she was only talking to herself now. While she was alive, the brunette tried time and time again to quit. Sometimes she'd be able to last for weeks before giving in. The bottle was always there, promising relief from her troubles.

Cana stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder. That was the last bottle of sake she had with her. And after what she'd just done, she needed the bottle's promise of relief.

* * *

_I was dreaming_  
_That we could always be together._  
_I woke up in tears._  
_As though I'm being urged on,_  
_I'm running with my back being pushed._  
_What is there at the destination?_  
_You're the only one I want to be there._

* * *

Evergreen enjoyed being a part of GirlDeMo, she really did. But she also missed being part of the fighting team. She missed her rifles. She missed the adventure and excitement. Luckily today was a day off. Levy and Erza were with the new girl, helping her adjust to her new environment and her new position as lead singer. Therefore no meetings were going to take place that day. Evergreen could take her precious rifles and practice.

Her favorite place to practice was underneath the road bridge that lead towards the river. None of the NPCs went there, so she wasn't going to disturb or alarm anyone there.

She jumped the last few feet of the descent to the bottom, landing gracefully. There was an uncharacteristic idiot grin on her face. She couldn't help it. She was just so happy to have the time. She took her can of spray paint and began making her target.

"What's with that face?"

Evergreen cringed. Of course it was him of all people who saw that idiot grin of hers. It couldn't have been one of the girls, or even Gray or Jellal. No, of all people it had to be Elfman who saw her.

"What face?" she huffed before crossing her arms and looking away. She could sense the his smile, there was no need to look in order to see the expression on his face.

"The stupid happy face."

"I did not have a stupid happy face."

"Yes, you did. Or else I'm not an otoko."

"Stop saying that!"

"Otoko da."

Evergreen reached for one of her rifles and angled it up so that it was only a few inches from his chest. He there his hands up right away and took a step back.

"Woah, sorry. I'm an otoko d-" Evergreen took two steps forward so that the barrel of the rifle was now against his chest "ah, I just wanted to know what it was that made you so happy!" he shouted.

"You were _teasing_ me!"

_'Just like everyone else, you're making fun of me.'_

That was unspoken between them, but they were both very ware of what she was thinking. Elfman cursed himself. He'd forgotten about her insecurities again. Evergreen realized that she'd overreacted and began to pull the rifle back. A large hand latched onto the barrel and, keeping it steady and in place.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the woman exclaimed.

"Fire it."

Ever's eyes widened. _What was that?_ The silence between the two was heavy with what they both left unsaid. They'd shared their pasts with each other alread. They knew about the pain in each other's hearts. Evergreen knew all about his younger sister's death. Elfman knew all about the emotional abuse and bullying that she had endured. He knew, and here he was teasing her again.

"You're fucking crazy! Now let go Elfman!"

His hand only tightened around the firearm. "No. I did what they did to you Ever. You didn't have a weapon to fight back with then. Now you do, so use it!"

"No!"

"I'm not joking around Ever. Do it now! Pretend that I'm them."

Her expression darkened considerably and a shiver ran down her body. For a moment she swore that she could hear the voices that had haunted her for so long. Her parents. Her teachers. Her classmates. They all said such mean and hurtful things. Of course they told her that they were only joking and that she was just being too sensitive. What could she say to that? No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop herself from believing everything they said. Evergreen choked back a sob as she came to the same conclusion. The same one that ended her life. It wasn't Elfman that she wanted to shoot.

It was herself.

* * *

_Even my memories_  
_Are starting to get sucked in._

_We were on the hill that day._  
_We were watching the flashes of lightning._  
_When I happened to look next to me,_  
_You were disappearing, too._  
_Ah, I see._  
_The way it's lost in one moment_  
_Is why it's so beautiful, why I liked it._  
_These feelings of mine are sent flying high into the sky, too._

* * *

Erza had finished explaining the basics of the world to Lucy hours ago. She knew that she should be doing something more productive, like coming up with a new battle strategy or finding a new way to train the SSS members. But instead she was in her bed, thinking about the past. She considered telling Jellal. She always considered telling him. But what would he think? She'd known the whole time and hadn't said anything. He would hate her for keeping that from him. Of course he would eventually find out. She just didn't want that to happen any sooner than it had to.

* * *

__I know all about it._  
_Everyone speaks badly of me._  
_Hey, that's great – I'll hear you out all at once.__

* * *

It was always herself. Evergreen had lost count of the times she'd killed herself. In fact, that was the horrible way that she and Elfman met. He found her only moments after she'd thrown herself off of the top of the tallest building on campus. The sight of her mangled broken body on the ground reminded him painfully of how Lisanna died. Except his sister didn't do anything wrong. It was all his fault. It was his car. His decisions. His reckless driving. He made all the choices. He made all the mistakes.

He lived.

Lisanna died.

"I'm not going to do it. Let go of my rifle." Evergreen's voice was hollow. Elfman didn't like that. So instead of letting go, he tugged on it. He freed it from her grasp before tossing it several feet away. He didn't want to see Evergreen hurt herself again. It was hard to believe that this stubborn, intelligent, beautiful woman was the same person as the one trembling in front of him now. She didn't deserve any of the shit people told her while she was alive.

"I'm sorry Ever. You were so happy here and I ruined it."

The woman wiped away the tears, not realizing until then that she'd been crying. "You giant oaf." she whispered softly. It made him smile.

"Yeah. I'm a giant oaf, but I'm als-"

"Don't you fucking dare say it!"

* * *

**Please Review! Please Please Please. They really help, even if its just like 'I read this. You're okay.' Seriously, I get so happy. I'm just a silly fangirl who loves attention. **

**Thank you!**

This was seven pages hand written. I had a lot of spare time on my hands at school and work. And _a lot_ of ideas. I'm still kind of iffy of Evergreen's backstory. I didn't quite know what to do with her. So let me go ahead and apologize for the OOC-ness. Only four main characters left! (Laxus is going to come in later in the story.) So chapter four will be Gray and Juvia. Chapter five will be Gajeel and Levy (saving the best for last?).

**Next Chapter Preview:**

_Chapter Four: Thousand Enemies_

_"Gray-sama!" Juvia called out. She held her guitar above her head as she ran to catch up with the man she'd fallen in love with at first sight. He turned his head, surprised to see her with her guitar.  
__"Huh?"  
__"Gray-sama. Juvia wrote her first song! Please listen!"_


	4. Thousand Enemies

**Author's Note: **So, if it isn't obvious yet, this story will be updating a lot slower than any of my past stories. Hopefully the chapters being around three times as long will help?

If you want to read these chapters while they're in progress, you can send me a PM on here or an ask/fanmail on my tumblr and I will send you a link to my super secret page where I work on this. I always welcome ideas, critiques, and fangirling. (my computer just tried to change fangirling to fingering?).

Enjoy some Gruvia and some Gajevy at the end to lead into the epic Gajevy-ness that will be Chapter Five!

* * *

**Chapter Four: Thousand Enemies**

Most of the weekend was uneventful. Lucy began learning the band's songs, and the names of her new friends. She'd quickly gotten along with Levy. She loved the bookworm's sweet personality, and her songs! She wasn't quite so sure about Gajeel, who seemed to always be close to Levy. He seemed pretty intimidating.

Lucy knew the rest of her bandmates now as well. Cana was their drummer, and she always seemed to have alcohol nearby. Wendy was their keyboardist, and the youngest person there. Lucy knew that the two of them would get along well. Juvia player guitar, and it seemed like she was second-in-command when it came to the band. Evergreen, well Lucy didn't know much about her except that every time she'd seen her outside of rehearsal there was a big guy named Elfman with her.

She's spent a small amount of time with Erza and the fighting division. There were a lot of people there, so she only learned the names of a few. She met Gray, Elfman, Gajeel, Bisca, Alzack, and Max. There were still several more that she hadn't learned the names of yet, but Lucy knew that she would catch on eventually.

And the boy with pink hair that'd scared her so badly on the first day…his name was Natsu. She hadn't seen him since, and for some unknown reason that Lucy wasn't sure of, she wanted to see him again. When she asked Erza about him, she was reassured that he was alright.

* * *

"Alright, I'm sorry to spring this on you now Levy, but we really need to do Operation Tornado tomorrow." Erza announced as soon as everyone arrived for their meeting.

The band's leader sighed, she knew that it was going to happen. She just hoped that it wouldn't be so soon!

"We'll have to see what Lucy is comfortable with. And we have a new song for you that Juvia wrote. I can manage to sing Alchemy." she explained, clearly not happy to be back on the stage so soon.

"Good. I know you'll work it out. Ask Gray to approve the song. That's his job since he's not here." Erza said before turning her attention to Elfman.

"Who are you going to want on the defensive front tomorrow?"

The big man wasn't usually in charge of that team, usually it was Gray or Natsu. He was alarmed for a moment before looking around the room to see who was available. "I want Jellal to be our communication. Then Gajeel, Max, Laki, Bisca and Alzack. Gray and Natsu won't be otoko?"

Everyone noticed the glare Evergreen gave him from across the room.

"Gray will be joining us. No word on Natsu, I think Gray's with him right now though. Jellal will keep you updated."

The blue haired technology expert didn't look at Erza. He'd been withdrawn for the past two days. He hadn't said anything to Erza, and neither had Cana.

"Warren you're in charge of communication with the band as usual." The man nodded in approval.

"Operation Tornado is set for tomorrow at 20:30. Everyone's dismissed!"

As soon as the words left Erza's mouth, Levy began gathering the band members for an emergency rehearsal.

In under five minutes, Lucy found herself with the rest of the band. "Okay, Lucy you're good with My Soul Your Beats, right?" the blonde nodded, she'd spent most of Sunday learning it.

"I can still manage lead vocals on Alchemy. Juvia, are you good with backups?"

"Juvia will do her best!"

Levy smiled and turned her attention back to their newest member. "Okay, Lucy I need you to learn Crow Song by tomorrow night, we're going to open with it."

A nervous expression crossed the blonde's face and it wasn't missed by Levy.

"Don't worry, that mp3 player I gave you has a version with and without vocals. We're going to practice Juvia's song that she's going to sing so you can have the rest of today to practice crow song."

* * *

"Gray-sama!" Juvia called out. She held her guitar above her head as she ran to catch up with the man she'd fallen in love with at first sight. He turned his head, surprised to see her with her guitar.

"Huh?"

"Gray-sama. Juvia wrote her first song! Please listen!"

Gray sighed. He'd already been informed by Erza of his responsibilities after not attending their meeting. "Okay, I'll be there in a couple of minutes." he said, somehow making Juvia smile with just that simple statement. The woman rushed back to the music room, holding her guitar above her head.

When Gray arrived, he noticed two large figures outside of the room. It looked as if they were trying to hide in the shadows. It was comical.

"Shut it stripper." Gajeel growled.

"We're Otoko!" Elfman contributed.

Gray just shook his head in amusement. People seemed to think that Jet and Droy were the band's biggest fans, but Gray was sure that Elfman and Gajeel were winning that title. They were always there for every new song.

The now shirtless man entered the room, noticing that the group had rearranged themselves, putting Juvia very clearly front and center.

"Gray-sama! Pleas enjoy the song I've written!"

Without any further introduction, Juvia counted off. The music was very similar to their other songs, so he knew right away that Levy played a role in the composition.

* * *

_Passing the time with you when you're in a bad mood,_

_There's one thing that I've learned._

_You're just pretending to be like that and desperately fighting._

* * *

When Juvia first arrived, the SSS was already well-established even though it was small. She was the sixteenth official member. Her appearance was welcomed by everyone, especially Mira who really wanted one more guitar player for her all-girl band.

Gray could tell that Juvia wasn't used to so much positive attention, and he couldn't blame her. no one seemed entirely comfortable with this new environment. He wasn't even comfortable with it yet, and only Erza had been there longer. After being overwhelmed by the introductions that everyone gave, it was Gray's job to give her an official overview and then assign her a dorm room.

What he didn't expect was for the girl to fall in love with him right away. Like always, his first reaction was to push her away. He didn't want to be close to anyone, that was just inviting pain. Even if she was beautiful. Even if he liked the cute way she spoke. Even if, despite everything, he enjoyed her company.

* * *

_Don't ever change like the ice does. _

_Even if the summer sun's rays are hot, don't melt away. _  
_I'm sure that just ahead, there's a beautiful glacier. _

* * *

He tried to push her away, but it didn't work. Over and over again, Juvia came back to him. Eventually Gray just got used to her being around. He usually wasn't happy about how clingy she could be, but at the same time he realized that he would miss her if she was gone too long. When Juvia finally gave in and joined GirlDeMo, she was around a lot less often.

* * *

_That kind of heart with a shape – if they'd realize it, all people have them. You have one too!_

* * *

It started three months after Juvia first arrived. They called them 'terrors', but they were really just nightmares. Everyone had them, for a whole week.

It was miserable for everyone. He saw all of their reactions.

Erza spent the week buried up to her neck in work, clearly trying to focus on anything other than the terrors.

Cana drank herself to death twice that week.

Evergreen jumped off of the roof the very first night, and if it weren't for Elfman he was sure that she would've done it again and again.

That week was the only time Gray would've described Levy as terrifying. She was incredibly bitter and had a short temper.

In contrast, Gajeel was silent, not starting any fights and spending a lot of time just staring into the distance.

Gray's dreams were the same every night. The same four memories. His parents death, dying to protect him. His adoptive mother's death, dying to protect him. His older sister's death, dying to protect him. And his own death, drowning in a frozen lake after failing to protect and save his only brother. He was the only family he had left.

It wasn't until the third day that he saw Juvia. She was out late, trying to stay awake as long as possible in order to escape the terrors.

* * *

_Hungry and unable to keep on walking, _

_There's one thing that I've learned. _  
_I'm putting off the things I should do and just doing what I want. _

* * *

The blue haired girl had wide eyes as she stared into the star filled sky. Despite what was happening, it was really a beautiful night.

"Need some company?" he asked, breaking the silence. Juvia jumped, surprised to discover that she wasn't alone.

"Please Gray-sama." she said. But she didn't smile. He couldn't help but think about how disturbing it was to be around Juvia when she wasn't smiling. That needed to change. So Gray sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Juvia leaned against him, welcoming his warmth and company.

"Gray-sama, Juvia wants to know…have you had the night terrors too?" her voice was soft, letting him know that it was safe to confide in her.

"Yes, I've had them. You as well?" he asked, despite knowing the answer. Why else would she be out this late? Juvia nodded.

"Juvia wishes that she could forget her terrors. She had nightmares similar to Gajeel-kun's."

Gray hadn't spoken to Gajeel since the terrors started. But he'd heard a lot about his past, and how he and Juvia had come from the same hellish city.

"About the Phantom Lord's gang?" he guessed. Juvia nodded again.

"Erza-san never told Gray-sama about Juvia's past?"

"Well, no. Erza doesn't share that information with others. So I really only know that you and Gajeel lived in the same place.

Juvia was silent for almost a full minute before speaking. "Would Gray-sama like to know Juvia's past?"

For some reason, he held her tighter against him. "You don't have to, but I'm here to listen if you want to."

She nodded. "Juvia wants to share, but she doesn't want Gray-sama to hate her."  
"I don't think there's anything you could say that would make me hate you."  
"Okay."

* * *

_I'll eat my food and get ready to fight!_

_I want to have this forever – as strong as steel,  
__A stubborn spirit that won't let anything through.  
__I'm sure that even now, it's in the middle of standing still and defending. _

* * *

Gray had to take the time to process what Juvia told him. He didn't know what he expected to hear, but he was shocked to find out that Juvia's life, except at the end, wasn't one of a victim. She was like Gajeel in that they were part of the gang that threw their city into anarchy. She skipped some parts of her story, overcome with guild. It wasn't until the very end of her life that Juvia became a victim of the cruel world that'd taken so much from all of them.

It started with her refusing to kill. She'd gotten by so long with only being a spy and an informant. But when she was ordered to assassinate the political figure she'd been spying on for awhile, Juvia refused. She didn't want to kill anyone, especially when the woman she'd been watching had a loving wife and a newly adopted young son.

Juvia got away with refusing orders for a short time, but eventually Juvia was labeled as a traitor. She tried to run, but they found her. The gang members captured her, tied her inside her car, and pushed it into the lake. That was how she died. Killed by the same people she'd dedicated her life to.

* * *

_On the path ahead, there are countless enemies _

_That are waiting for me. They're waiting for you, too!_

_When we're lost, I want you to show me the map in your heart. _  
_In that case, we'll know the way to go soon. _  
_I just can't figure it out alone._

* * *

Juvia was sobbing uncontrollably when she finished telling her story. Her face was pressed against Gray's chest, making his shirt wet. Thinking and talking about her death really upset her.

"Would you like to hear about my past?"

Juvia nodded her response.

He slowly told his story, and Juvia could tell that he was emotionally detached as he spoke. Gray told her about his two families. The one he lived with until the civil war in his country broke out. Just him and his parents. They were happy. His parents died while smuggling him out of the country. He was eight.

Once safely across the border, Gray was adopted by a single mother. She had a biological daughter who was working in another country, and another adopted son named Lyon who was around the same age as Gray.

He and Lyon learned the art of ice sculpting from her. Gray wished that he could go back and do it over again. He spent those three years being bitter and hateful to Ur. He wished that he had the opportunity to go back and let her know that he didn't mean the things he said. But the war spread to where they were living, and Ur died the same way as his parents, trying to get him to safety.

Gray and Lyon spent the next month tracking down Ultear, the only family they had left. The young woman was reluctant to take in the two boys. She was already taking care of a little girl named Meredy. And then there was the issue of her 'occupation'. What she did to make a living wasn't exactly legal, and could put the children in her care in danger.

The four of them lived happily enough for the next three years. Then Ultear's activities were discovered by the authorities. The woman agreed to give them all the information on the Grimoire Heart crime right that she worked for in exchange for not serving prison time. They were only safe for two days before Grimoire found out about her betrayal.

They came for them in the middle of the night. Ultear held them off. It cost her her life. The crime ring captured Meredy. Gray and Lyon never heard from her again.

The boys were placed in an orphanage that was horribly overcrowded. Since they were fourteen years old, they had little chance of being adopted. Somehow Lyon convinced Gray to make the most of their time there. The temperature barely got above freezing, which made it a great environment for practicing their ice sculpting.

The boys were still living there they day the died.

The two of them were getting ice from the lake when Lyon fell under. Several seconds passed of him not coming back up. Terror took ahold of Gray. Lyon was the only family he had left. He couldn't let him die. So he jumped in, full of determination. He never found Lyon. Gray died in the frozen lake.

* * *

_Come on, let's move ahead across any number of bridges. _

_We'll always be together like lovers, _  
_So even if the summer sun's rays are hot, we won't be apart. _

* * *

Gray couldn't focus much on the song. All he seemed to be able to think about was the connection that was made between him and Juvia since that night. He was still a little scared of getting any closer to her. He didn't want the past to repeat itself yet again. The people who love him died to keep him safe. Juvia was already dead, but she could still feel pain. He didn't want to be too attached to her when the inevitable happened. Especially since she wasn't willing to walk away and stop loving him.

Somehow, no matter how many times he tried to disengage, he couldn't forget about her. He both loved it and hated it. In this mysterious world, Juvia had a hold on him like no one else.

The band finished their song, effectively drawing Gray out of his thoughts and back to reality.

"I liked it. I'm sure the NPCs will be thrilled to hear it tomorrow.

Suddenly Juvia squealed in delight.

"Gray-sama liked my song!"

* * *

The band continued to rehearse for several more hours, only stopping when Levy was absolutely certain that they were fine despite losing Mira. The small bass player was the last to leave the room. She had her usual red bag hung over her shoulder and carried her bas in its case while walking back towards her dorm.

"Hey."  
Levy didn't have to look up. She knew that it was Gajeel. He took her bass without asking. He always carried it for her, even though she was perfectly capable of carrying it herself.

"Hi."

"I wrote another song."

Levy sighed. "Gajeel, I've already told you. We don't play blues."

"Gihi. I didn't write the music for it. Only the lyrics."

Levy smirked. "I see, you want me to do all the hard work."

"Nah, I wanna do that with you. Gotta make sure Rain Woman and Scary Eyes have some good guitar parts. Maybe a nice intro for the kid."

Levy smiled. The two of them walked to the dorms in a comfortable silence.

The girls in the SSS had half a floor to themselves, everyone roomed with another member. Juvia shared a room with Levy, and it was a perfect match. Neither of them were especially loud. They liked the same music. They both got to know each other quickly, and gave great advice. They'd become best friends.

"Well, I'm exhausted." Levy said as she stopped in front of her door.

"That happens when you play for hours and hours." Gajeel stepped forward and handed her a stack of papers and her pass. Levy fished around for her keys and was in the process of unlocking the door when she felt his hand on her shoulder. She turned, only to feel his lips on her forehead.

The small girl was frozen in place with wide unbelieving eyes.

"G'night shrimp." he said as if nothing had happened, leaving her standing in the middle of the hallway.

_'What? Did that just happen? Was it an accident? Did I imagine….he kissed my forehead. Was it just like a friendship thing or…OH GOD PLEASE don't let it be like a family thing. I really really really don't want him to think of me as like, his little sister or -_ "WAH!"

Levy jumped back as the door to her dorm opened suddenly, scaring her out of her thoughts. Juvia stood there staring at Levy.

"Levy-san, are you okay?" Juvia asked as she continued to brush her wet hair. Levy blushed and hurried into the room, past Juvia and landing face first on their couch.

Juvia closed and locked the door before going to stand next to where her roommate had collapsed onto the couch.

"Juvia has to know what happened." she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and shook her. Levy rolled over, revealing how much she was blushing. Her friend gasped in excitement.

"Levy-san! Tell Juvia please! Did Gajeel-kun do something?"

Her answer was a shy nod.

"A-are you going to date Gajeel-kun?"

Levy sat up, her intense blush was starting to fade.

"It was nothing like that. H-he just kissed my forehead before saying good night and leaving."

Juvia stared at her with an unreadable expression that made Levy uncomfortable. "What?"

"Juvia…doesn't know what Gajeel-kun's intention was. A kiss on the forehead? What does that mean?"

Levy groaned and picked up a pillow to press her face against. Juvia picked up the papers Levy placed on the table. She realized as soon as she saw it that it wasn't writhed by Levy. She sat down next to her friend and began reading.

"Levy-san should read this."

* * *

_I'm sure that just ahead, a magnificent landscape awaits. _  
_When that time comes, I'll listen to all of those feelings you've gathered. _  
_I have those too. I'll tell you about them, too. I'll tell them all to you!_

* * *

The band took it easy during the day, Levy wanted to avoid wearing them out. It also had to do with her need for a nap. Once Juvia got Levy to read the lyrics Gajeel had written, she knew what she needed to do. The small girl spent hours in front of her keyboard and laptop, working on the piece. It came together quickly at first, but then she remembered what Gajeel said he'd wanted. An intro for Wendy and riffs for Juvia and Evergreen.

Levy scrapped what she had and started over. By four in the morning, Levy had a basic version of the song. It wasn't until late afternoon, following her nap that Levy ran into Gajeel.

She shoved the sheet music into his hands.

"The fuck is this…"

Levy just stood there with her arms crossed as he looked the music over.

"The fuck shrimp? I only gave you the lyrics last night."

Levy smiled a little. "I couldn't help myself after I read them. T-this was really good Gajeel." she said as she blushed.

Gajeel set aside the music and grinned down at the girl who was blushing more than he'd ever seen before.

"Gihi, so you liked my lyrics huh?"

Levy nodded. He glanced around quickly to make sure that they were alone.

"I wrote 'em for you." The bluenette's face was completely red by that point.

"I know."

Gajeel stepped closer to her, putting his arm on the wall next to her. He leaned close, his lips almost touching her ear. She could feel the heat from his body despite not touching at all. She stiffened as she felt his lips brush against her ear.

_'My heart is beating so fast. Oh God, what is going on? I really like this.'_

Gajeel just barely managed to keep himself from laughing. She was so incredibly cute, and he couldn't help but enjoy that fact that she was reacting this way because of him.

"Levy."

His voice was low and seductive. She held in a moan, but suddenly she was like putty. How could she not be after hearing him say her name like that?

"I'm not sure about these guitar parts."

'SLAP'

Levy sighed after leaving a red mark on his cheek. She should've known that something like that was going to happen.

"Gihi. Can't take some teasing?"

Levy pouted and began to angrily stomp down the hallway. She'd only taken a few steps before she was tugged backwards. The girl squeaked in surprise before being silenced by his lips.

* * *

**Please Review! Thank you!**

So, ready for some Gajevy? Was the Gruvia any good? Any ideas? I love to hear from all of you. It helps me so so so much with developing the stories. Next chapter I'm going to have some bits dedicated to the people who helped me come up with some of the ideas!

Look forward to it!

_NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW:_

CHAPTER FIVE: CROW SONG

_She'd never seen him look vulnerable before. The terrors changed him, and she wanted to know why. Would it be rude to ask? Maybe she should share her story first? Though, that thought was terrifying as well. She didn't mind telling people about her dyslexia. The hard part would be telling him about how she died. About how weak she was and how little she could do on her own because she was so well...little._


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